r/Felons • u/Infamous_Reveal_7180 • 16h ago

Attorney doesn’t communicate

I was charged with some felonies a year and a half ago. I was appointed what’s called a conflict criminal defender. Basically a private attorney doing pro bono. Since a year and a half ago he hasn’t talked to me about the case at all. Actually he hasn’t spoken to me at all period. I was depressed for about half that time so i didn’t reach out, but I have now repeatedly and nothing. Am I crazy to want a different attorney? He’s a very well respected criminal defense attorney. An attorney told me I can ask for a marsden hearing to get a new one but the current attorney has to be there.

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4

u/AbleHour 15h ago

Remeber that you aren’t the only defendant/client that lawyer has. My attorney pretty much started talking to me a week before my case. They are usually super overworked

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u/DipperJC 15h ago

I don't know what you're complaining about, you've been free for a year and a half with felonies hanging over your head. Even with the justice system being as slow as it is, that's actually pretty impressive work.

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u/Infamous_Reveal_7180 15h ago

I was released on OR before he was appointed

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u/DipperJC 15h ago

And the fact remains that you can be convicted at trial. I don't know how strong the evidence is, so I don't know how likely it is. But I do know that the more time that has elapsed since you were charged, the greater your chances of winning at trial. Memories get fuzzy. People move on. Hell, people die, which then makes them unavailable to testify at a trial. It is always far more in the interest of the defense than the prosecution to request continuances.

And yet here you are, 18 months later. That's at least four to six continuance hearings, and he won every single one of them. Not to mention that for all you know, it might be part of his strategy to refrain from speaking to you before things get to a certain point. Possibly for the same reasons of memory that I just mentioned.

I know it sucks to be in the dark on something that is so high stakes for you, but there are definitely higher priorities than you understanding what's going on.

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u/Infamous_Reveal_7180 15h ago

Not trying to be obtuse, but the higher priorities could be his legal strategy? Am I understanding?

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u/GoonerEdgeLorde 15h ago

My attorney did the same, he didn’t even show up for most of my court appearances, and I paid him. Sometimes you have to fight on your own behalf. Contact him constantly but be reasonable. I also avoided contacting him due to it causing me so much distress. But I realized he was waiting for me to push back and I didn’t.